BOILER

w
x ME FEATURE
From Materials Evaluation, Vol. 70, No. 5, pp: 508519.
Copyright 2012 The American Society for Nondestructive Testing, Inc.

TUBES Comparison of Visual, Eddy

Current, Ultrasonic and
Magnetic Particle Testing
Techniques for Boiler Tube
Inspections
by Michael Leonard Hodgson

T
his paper details actual inspection data and extracts from reports
taken over a nine-month period of inspections of water tube boilers.
The inspections were carried out by qualified technicians and
inspectors using a combination of internal visual testing (VT) using
remote cameras, eddy current testing, ultrasonic testing (UT) and magnetic
particle testing (MT).

Background and Inspection Phases

In May 2008, the failure of a wall tube on a water tube boiler triggered an
inspection to ascertain the failure mechanism and to investigate for further
indications that could lead to rupture. The initial inspections at the failure site
(phase 1) necessitated the removal of five tubes to a workshop so that a
thorough internal and external analysis could be carried out (phase 2). This
analysis would then give vital information to produce the most effective tech-
niques for onsite, in situ inspections (phase 3) to search for further areas that
may have early onset discontinuities or display similar properties to those at
the failure site. All work was carried out manually; no automated or robotic
applications were utilized.

Codes, Procedures and Qualifications

All the nondestructive testing (NDT) inspections were carried in accordance
with relevant codes, procedures and qualifications. This includes ASME Boiler
and Pressure Vessel Codes, Section V, Nondestructive Examination, including
Article 1: General Requirements Non-Destructive Methods of Examination;
Photo credit: Michael Hodgson
of Oceaneering International
Services Asset Integrity MAY 2012 MATERIALS EVALUATION 509
ME FEATURE w
x boiler tube inspection
it is absolutely essential
to capture as much
information as possible
Article 9: Visual Examination; Article 7: Magnetic
Particle Examination; Article 6: Liquid Penetrant
Examination; Article 8: Eddy Current Examination of
Tubular Products; Article 4: Ultrasonic Examination
Method for Welds; and Article 5: Ultrasonic
Examination Method for Materials (ASME, 2010). The
inspections were also carried out in accordance with
EN 473, Non-destructive Testing Qualification and
Certification of NDT Personnel General Principles and
Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A: Personnel
Qualification and Certification in Nondestructive
Testing (2006) (ASNT, 2006; BS, 2008). In addition,
they complied with company approved operating
procedures, as well as with the clients acceptance
criteria.
Phase 1 (Initial Inspection of the Failed Tube
and Surrounding Area In Situ)
When first called to the failure site, it is absolutely
essential to capture as much information as possible
and record the data in a logical manner. The best
strategy is to plan ahead and carefully choose the
order of carrying out techniques so that the testing is
most efficient, sensitive and timely. An example of this
would be to choose UT last because the couplant
would interfere with any surface crack detection tech-
niques adopted. Phase 1 was carried out as follows.
Pre-clean the Area to Eliminate Extraneous Matter
Pre-cleaning was done with rotary wire brushes to take
off loose rust deposits, scale and insulation that had
become adhered to the outer pipe wall. The rotary wire
brushes strip the surface of the steel rather than chip
or impact the surface. Impact tools should not be used
to remove the scale or deposits because such tools
will cause the steel to peen over small discontinuities.
Care was taken not to remove any evidence along the
fracture face. This must be preserved so that the client
can send the fracture faces to a metallurgical lab for
further failure analysis, and this would be lost if
grinding or excessive cleaning was applied to the
fracture edge.
510 MATERIALS EVALUATION MAY 2012
Photograph the Failure Site and Adjacent Area
It is vital that photographs are taken before the appli-
cation of any dyes, contrast paints or couplants so that
a clean record of the failed area can be stored for
future reference. Photography can be done with
standard cameras, borescopes, flexible pipeline
cameras or video recordings. This can often prove to
be a very important process as human memory can
fail or different perspectives can offer varying verbal
reports of what was actually seen. The photographs
must then be catalogued, dated and accessible to the
client.
Conduct Close Visual Testing for Telltale Signs
Using magnifying aids and good lighting, this part of
the testing gives a more intimate approach and helps
guide the inspection towards a more tailored result.
This is because smaller detail is noted that can often
go unnoticed if only cursory VT is carried out. During
this part of the inspection, internal indications were
observed through the combination of low magnifica-
tion and small bright torches, which cast shadows
from the edge of the internal discontinuity. This then
called for further NDT down the bore of the failed tube
to verify this observation.
Conduct Internal Liquid Penetrant Testing
Once there was visual evidence of internal discontinu-
ities, the application of PT down the bore of the failed
tube was thought to be the most advantageous
approach since there was no way of applying MT to
the bore of the failed tube due to the small diameter.
The PT system utilized was water washable red dye,
coarse droplet water spray, air drying using plant air
line and hard white contrast paint, which has a longer
development time but leaves sharp indications once it
has developed through. The great benefit of this
technique is that, after taking the photograph and
reporting the findings, the indications remain visible
long enough for the site engineer to witness them
before they blot out. All relevant indications were
recorded and sized.
Conduct External Magnetic Particle Testing
Once the data had been collated from the bore PT, the
external area of the failed tube could be examined.
Conventional MT was chosen, using an alternating
current 110 V yoke because of its speed and sensi-
tivity. The same contrast paint was utilized, saving
time and cost. It was important to ensure good yoke
spacing and field strength at the areas of interest,
which were the weld toes and heat affected zones at
the seal welds that are fused to adjacent tubes. All
relevant indications were recorded and sized.
Conduct Internal and External Eddy Current Testing
The data collected from the internal and external
surface crack detection techniques showed that the
discontinuities were longer in the bore than they were
showing externally. In order to investigate this further,
an eddy current weld probe with a 90 head and
radius shoe was selected to scan the bore.
Sensitivities were set using an electrical discharge
machining (EDM) notched reference of 0.5 mm
(0.02 in.) depth and then increasing the gain until
a signal height was attained at full screen from the
center. The probe body gave approximately 100 mm
(3.9 in.) of bore scanning, which was enough to note
that cracking was indeed longer internally than it was
found externally. To confirm this, conventional eddy
current weld probes were used to scan the external
fillet weld and heat-affected zones after adjustments
were made to the sensitivity to compensate for the
change in geometry from moving from internal tube
bore to the external tube to fillet weld. All indications
were recorded.
W Y
T
(b)
X Z
(a) (c) Tube 1
Figure 1. The failure site and surrounding area: (a) location of discontinuities; (b) rupture window; (c) end view showing
the orientation of internal cracks. Cracks W, X, Y and Z were located opposite the external weld toe, as indicated in
Figure 1c.
Phase 1 Results
Eddy current testing found two external tears (cracks)
at the north side of the rupture area, plus a further
four cracks internally adjacent to where the external
weld toe was sited. This is shown in Figure 1a as a
schematic view of discontinuities, in Figure 1b as a
photograph of the failure site and in Figure 1c as an
end view showing orientation of internal cracks.
Figure 2 also shows photographs of the reported
cracks T, U, W, X, Y and Z. MT found the two tears,
T and U, on the external side, but no other reportable
indications. PT of the tube bore highlighted the
cracking (discontinuities W, X, Y and Z) that had been
found with eddy current testing.
Phase 1 Conclusion
All of the data collected gave clear evidence that the
bore of the tube would be the area of interest for
future inspections. Both PT and eddy current testing
found that the internal cracking was longer than the
external cracking, and this information was the key to
unlocking the future developments of the project.
Failure site
window rupture
Tube 3 Tube 2 Tube 1
W, X, Y and Z
Tube 3
MAY 2012 MATERIALS EVALUATION 511
ME FEATURE w
x boiler tube inspection

(a) (b)

X Y
W

(c) (d)

Figure 2. Reported cracks: (a) 30 mm (1.2 in.) external crack T; (b) 20 mm (0.8 in.) external crack U; (c) 80 mm (3.2 in.)
internal crack X and 90 mm (3.5 in.) internal crack Z; (d) 65 mm (2.6 in.) internal crack W and 95 mm (3.7 in.) internal
crack Y.

From this first inspection, the decision was taken
to provide a technique that would screen the tubes
and identify which had the potential of having internal
discontinuities. In order to do this, a request was
made to extract some full tubes and carry out
extensive testing within a workshop environment,
utilizing test equipment and parameters that would be
adopted for onsite inspections.
Phase 2 (Follow-up Inspection and Technique
Verification)
Once the client granted approval, phase 2 was
initiated. To prove suitability of the techniques, it was
first necessary to select the highest risk locations with
the greatest stresses and then screen these tubes to
identify all those with internal visually suspect areas.
This necessitated follow-up with a technique that
would give clear data for acceptance or rejection as a
discontinuity. The tubes selected for phase 2 are
shown in Figure 3.
The first pass was carried out with the tubes intact,
and various internal bore cameras were tried out to
find the most convenient one that would also find all
indications. All the inspections were carried out in
workshop conditions and with good lighting of
>500 lux (46.45 fc).
Remote Visual Testing
Four camera systems (Camera A, Camera B, Camera C
and Camera D) were trialed to determine which gave

512 MATERIALS EVALUATION MAY 2012

the best combination contrast, brightness, clarity,
manipulation and ease of use.
The bores of the extracted tubes were inspected
without any further cleaning down the bore. This
ensured that the condition that they would have had
in situ would be maintained. Each camera was passed
through the tube from end to end, and adjustments
were made to light levels, focus and speed of travel to
attain optimum parameters for each camera. Notes
were made regarding the ease of use, time taken and
clarity of image until all camera systems had been
utilized. Observations were also made of any internal
indications that would require follow-up NDT.
Results of Remote Visual Testing
Camera A provided good image quality and easily
adjusted light, but was a forward-facing camera that
could not view the intrados of bends and therefore
might miss discontinuities. This unit was easy to use
and set up, and was very good at locating the discon-
tinuities on the extrados of the bend. The pushrod
system on which it was designed allowed for easy
progression along the tube length. The unit might be
cumbersome at the manway entrance or restrictive in
confined locations. This is not intrinsically safe, so a
site fire permit would have to be issued, and the
camera would need electrical checks from the site
electrician prior to use. Discontinuities were clearly
seen on the bend inner wall surface and the video-out
port allowed easy recording via the portable digital
video recording (DVR) system.
Camera B provided poor image quality for its
intended use. It offered easily adjusted light, but was
also a forward-facing camera that could not view the
intrados of bends and, therefore, might also miss
discontinuities. This unit was easy to use and set up
and would be suitable at locating blockages or foreign
matter that may have entered the tubing. The pushrod
system allowed for easy progression along the tube
length. The unit is compact and suitable for use at
manways or at confined areas. It is also not intrinsi-
cally safe, so a site fire permit would have to be
issued, and the camera would need electrical checks
from the site electrician prior to use. Discontinuities
were observed seen on the bend inner wall surface;
however, they were difficult to assess due to the
monochrome image. The video-out port allowed easy
recording via the portable DVR system.
Camera C provided good image quality and easily
adjusted light, but it was another forward-facing
camera that might not view the intrados of bends. This
unit was easy to use and set up, and was very good at
locating the discontinuities on the extrados of the
bend. The pushrod system again allowed for easy
1
2
3
4
5
Window pane area
(rupture area)
top bend tube 2
Figure 3. Tubes selected for phase 2 were removed from the boiler and taken to a
workshop. These included half of tube 2, all of tubes 3 and 4, and half of tube 5.
progression along the tube length. The unit might be
cumbersome at the manway entrance or restrictive in
confined locations. This system was intrinsically safe
and could be utilized with the plant online following
confirmation from the site electrician. Discontinuities
were clearly seen on the bend inner wall surface, and
the video-out port allowed easy recording via the
portable DVR system.
Camera D provided exceptional image quality,
easily adjusted light levels and a fully articulated
head, which made inspecting the bend intrados
possible. It was a very portable and space-saving unit,
which would be unobtrusive at the actual onsite
location. However, it was not intrinsically safe, so a
site fire permit would have to be issued, and the
camera would need electrical checks from the site
electrician prior to use. Discontinuities were clearly
seen on the bend inner wall surface, and the video-
out port allowed easy recording via the portable DVR
system.
Remote Visual Testing Conclusion
Evaluation of the results was based upon the clients
requirements and ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel
Codes, Section V, Article 9: Visual Examination (ASME,
2010). It was clear from the results that all future
remote VT should be carried out using Camera D due
to its image quality, ease of use, articulation of the
head and the relatively small unit size. The next step
was to section the tubes in half to allow for internal
NDT to prove the remote VT findings. The section was
cold cut so as to not disturb the internal surface.
MAY 2012 MATERIALS EVALUATION 513
ME FEATURE w
x boiler tube inspection
Once calibrated, the settings were noted
and scanning could commence along the
bores of the tubes to verify the findings
Eddy Current Testing
The eddy current testing unit chosen for this survey
was a complex plane analysis unit, small and
portable, with good discontinuity finding capabilities.
All probes were calibrated using an EDM notched
reference block with a 1 mm (0.04 in.) notch. Once
calibrated, the settings were noted and scanning
could commence along the bores of the tubes to verify
the findings of the remote VT survey. All positive indi-
cations were recorded and compared against other
probe findings. The probes utilized are as follows:
Probe A was a 100 kHz self-comparison differential
bridge type probe; Probe B was a 200 kHz self-
comparison differential bridge type probe; and
Probe C was a 200 kHz absolute probe.
Eddy Current Testing Results
Probes A and B both offered excellent discontinuity
detection and were very easy to manipulate. Each
detected a total of eight indications, some of which
the remote VT could not detect. Both probes were
capable of depth estimation using EDM notches of
varying depths as comparators up to a limit of 3 mm
(0.12 in.) deep.
Figure 4. The ultrasonic probe curved shoe.
514 MATERIALS EVALUATION MAY 2012
Probe C offered excellent discontinuity detection,
though the small probe tip had a tendency to cause
some problems with scanning at any comfortable
speed. Additionally, the coil was too sensitive to
changes in material properties and influenced by the
grain structure changes from the far side seal welds.
It is better suited for small area scans at slow scan
speeds for discontinuity detection.
Eddy Current Testing Conclusion
Evaluation of the results was based upon the clients
requirements and ASME Section V, Article 8: Eddy
Current Examination of Tubular Products (ASME,
2010). Excellent results were noted with both of the
bridge probes; these probes have a curved probe tip
and are a good size to handle. All future inspections of
the boiler tubes are to be carried out using 100 to
200 kHz self-comparison bridge type probes.
Magnetic Particle Testing
Standard MT was carried out using a 110 V Y6 yoke,
type 2 field flux strips, white contrast aid paint and
black magnetic particle suspension (ready to use).
These products are the most sensitive and
ready-to-use products for this type of inspection
and are regarded as some of the industry standards.
All indications were recorded.
Magnetic Particle Testing Results
Eight internal discontinuities were noted and sized for
length. These were comparable with the findings from
the eddy current testing.
Ultrasonic Testing
The wall thickness and external radius of the tubes
narrowed the probes selection down to a 45 shear
wave with nominal frequency of 2.25 to 4 MHz. The
probe had a shoe shape to suit the curvature of the
tube and could be seated inside a metal holder
purposely built to fit the external radius and provide
stable scanning (see Figure 4).
Reference samples were made using tube
material identical to those of the tubes to be tested.
The reference tube was cut in half, and then EDM
notches were made in the internal surface. The 100 mm

notches were selected to give variation in depth and

length, as shown in Figure 5.
Once the probe, holder and reference samples were
made, the test parameters were set to give a workable
procedure that could be repeated out in the field.
20 mm 20 mm 20 mm 20 mm
Contact surfaces were presented for inspection, 20 mm Notch depths
1 mm
clean of weld spatter, dirt, rust, grease and any 3 mm 2 mm 1 mm 2 mm
deep deep deep 3 mm
roughness that would interfere with the free
movement of the search unit or prevent the transmis- 4 mm
sion of ultrasonic vibrations; a minimum standard of
120 m was recommended.
The distance of surface preparation was a (a)
40 mm (1.6 in.) wide band adjacent to the weld toe.
The instrument calibration checks were performed 100 mm
prior to first use and weekly thereafter. The signature
of the operator or technician on the report docu-
mented satisfactory calibration checks. The checks
included screen height linearity and amplitude
control linearity. Scanning speed could not exceed
150 mm/s (6 in./s). 5 mm 10 mm 15 mm Notch depth
1 mm 1 mm 1 mm 1 mm
A verification of calibration was performed when
deep deep deep
any part of the test system was changed, at the
completion of each test (or series of similar tests) 4 mm
performed, when testing personnel were changed, and
any time malfunction was suspected. The verification
check was performed on at least one of the reflectors (b)
in the appropriate calibration block or on a known
reference reflector. Figure 5. Reference electrical discharge machining notches in side and end view:
(a) variable depth and constant length; (b) constant depth and variable length.
Ultrasonic Testing System Calibration
With the signal maximized from the 2 mm (0.08 in.)
deep, 20 mm (0.79 in.) long reflector, the emission
point will be at the mark indicating a true 45 angle
(see Figure 6). The mark is 12 mm (0.47 in.) from
the tangential radius of the reflector, indicating at
1.5 skips. A maximum deviation from 45 is +2
or 3, giving a maximum deviation from the 45
mark of +0.9 mm (0.04 in.) and 1.2 mm (0.05 in.). 12 mm
The calibration was performed corresponding to 0.9 mm
the surface of the component from which the testing 1.2 mm
was performed.
2 mm
The sweep range was calibrated to cover the area
of interest required for the test. The search unit for the
maximum first indication from the internal bore corner
of the calibration reference sample block was posi- 4 mm
tioned. The beam path was set to 5.7 mm (0.2 in.).
Next, the search unit for the maximum indication from
external bore corner of the reference sample block the
beam path was positioned at 11.4 mm (0.4 in.). The
surface distance was 4 mm (0.2 in.) for a half skip and
8 mm (0.3 in.) for a full skip from the corners to the
emission point. Figure 6. Angle verification.

MAY 2012 MATERIALS EVALUATION 515

ME FEATURE w
x boiler tube inspection

The signal from the 1 mm (0.04 in.) deep, 20 mm
(0.79 in.) long slot was maximized, and the gain was
adjusted to give a response of 80% full screen height.
For scanning, 6 dB were added. This was validated as
a scanning sensitivity against known cracks in the cali-
bration reference sample.
The extra 6 dB were removed for testing. All indica-
tions greater than 6 mm (0.24 in.) in length had the
length tested using the 6 dB drop; indications with a
length of less than 6 mm (0.24 in.) were not recorded.
Probability of Detection
With strict adherence to the procedure, there was a
high degree of probability of detection (POD) in cracks
greater than 6 mm in length (0.24 in.) and greater
than 1 mm (0.04 in.) in depth, parallel to the weld
axis within the suspect area. Any deviation was
recorded on the report and had a detrimental effect on
POD.
POD increased by the use of a complementary NDT
technique. Remote VT outlined within this paper fulfills
these criteria and may be used as a screening
technique to focus the UT and as a verification aid for
indications found by UT.
No discontinuities were detected that did not have
a major axis parallel to the ligature weld. Only indica-
tions within 6 mm (0.24 in.) of the primary beam axis
incidence to the area designated as the suspect area
were detected.
Ultrasonic Testing Results
During the UT, a number of discontinuities were
observed directly opposite the tube-to-tube ligature
weld zone. These were sized and recorded. The

Tube 5 Tube 3 Tube 4 Tube 2

Tube 4 Tube 2 Tube 5 Tube 3

D C AG

D C A G F E

F H
E B

B H

(a) (b)

Figure 7. Discontinuity locations in tubes 2 through 5: (a) end view; (b) side view.

516 MATERIALS EVALUATION MAY 2012

results from UT were then compared alongside the
results from the other techniques used and it
showed good confirmation that the technique has
the ability to find inner wall discontinuities from the
external surface.

Ultrasonic Testing Conclusion

Evaluation of the results was based upon the clients
requirements and ASME Section V, Article 4 and ASME (a) (b)
Section V, Article 5 (ASME, 2010).
As long as all the criteria for surface conditions
and sensitivity parameters were set correctly, and as
long as suitably qualified technicians were used, it
can be concluded that UT is an excellent tool for the
detection of this kind of boiler tube failure, even
before it has propagated through wall. The limita-
tions of this technique are that the surface is (c) (d)
required to be smooth, bare metal, free of scale, and
that the probe must have access to the test area.
Any attachments spanning or touching the weld will
cause a restriction.
Full results of all the tests made in phase 2 are
shown in Figures 7, 8 and 9. The following information
was taken directly from all the inspections carried out
in phase 2. Figure 7 shows the discontinuity locations. (f)
(e)
Figure 8 shows the internal cracks that were found,
labeled A through H. Figure 9 shows an internal indi-
cation in Figure 9a and a no internal indications in
Figure 9b.
Discontinuities found were labeled cracks A to H.
In Tube 2, crack A was 220 mm (8.7 in.) long; crack G
was 250 mm (9.8 in.) long; and crack H was 150 mm
(5.9 in.) long. In Tube 3, crack C was 620 mm
(24.4 in.) long and crack D was 600 mm (23.6 in.) (g) (h)
long. In Tube 4, crack E was 10 mm (0.4 in.) long and
crack F was 100 mm (3.4 in.) long. In Tube 5, no indi- Figure 8. Internal cracks found: (a) 1 to 4 mm (0.04 to 0.2 in.) deep, 220 mm
(8.7 in.) long crack A; (b) 1 to 4 mm (0.04 to 0.2 in.) deep, 100 mm (3.9 in.) long
cations with found with remote VT, UT, eddy current
crack B; (c) 1 to 2 mm (0.04 to 0.08 in.) deep, 590 mm (23.2 in.) long crack C;
testing or MT. (d) <1 mm (0.04 in.) deep, 500 mm (19.7 in.) long crack D; (e) <0.2 mm (0.08 in.)
Table 1 shows the detectability of each crack with deep, 10 mm (0.4 in.) long crack E; (f) <0.2 mm (0.08 in.) deep, 100 mm (3.9 in.)
each technique utilized. long crack F; (g) 1 to 4 mm (0.04 to 0.2 in.) deep, 250 mm (9.8 in.) long crack G;
(h) 1 to 4 mm deep, (0.04 to 0.2 in.) 150 mm (5.9 in.) long crack H.

TABLE 1
Detectability of each crack with each technique utilized
Crack Detectable with Detectable with Detectable with Detectable with
remote visual testing eddy current testing magnetic particle testing ultrasonic testing
A Yes Yes Yes Yes
B Yes Yes Yes Yes
C Yes Yes Yes Yes
D Yes Yes Yes Yes
E No Yes Yes No
F No Yes Yes No
G Yes Yes Yes Yes
H Yes Yes Yes Yes

MAY 2012 MATERIALS EVALUATION 517

ME FEATURE w
x boiler tube inspection

(a)
(b)
Figure 9. Internal view of: (a) tube 2 showing internal
indications of cracking; (b) tube 4 showing no internal
indications or evidence of visible cracks.
Phase 2 Conclusions
The decision to adopt the following set of techniques
was based upon ASME Section V, NDT guidelines and
also the information gathered from the client regarding
their concerns at being able to screen for and detect
early stages of corrosion fatigue (ASME, 2010; ASNT,
2006; BS, 2008).
Based upon the entire set of trials and results, it
was concluded that future inspections of the boiler
tubes would be carried out as follows: tubes associ-
ated with critical high stress areas where the possi-
bility of corrosion fatigue is greatest would be
selected; external eddy current testing would be
conducted at tangent welds using bridge weld probes
and sensitivity set on a 1 mm (0.04 in.) depth EDM
notch to give a signal deflection full screen height
from center. In addition, external MT would be
conducted at tangent welds using standard 110 V Y6
yokes and color contrast consumables. External UT
would be conducted at tangent weld areas using 45
shear waves with a nominal frequency between 2.25
and 4 MHz, shaped to suit the tube outer radius.
Finally, internal inspections would be conducted using
an advanced video borescopes with fully articulated
fiber optic cameras.
This set of inspections and the application of the
procedures developed would give the best chance at
early detection of crack initiation and propagation
and, if carried out on a regular frequency, could reduce
plant downtime and the possibility of further ruptures
in the future.

Phase 3 (In Situ Inspection Application of

Figure 10. Critical areas selected for testing in phase 3.
Procedures Developed in Phase 2)
The critical areas selected for inspection and the appli-
cation of techniques are shown in Figure 10.
The inspections were carried out as per the specifi-
cations in Table 2, which were proven to be the most
cost effective and time saving, having only to clean
the external surfaces once prior to the first external
technique. The first order of inspection would include
internal VT, in which there is an initial search or
screening for potential areas of thermal fatigue

TABLE 2
Test technique order and reasons
Order of testing Test technique used Reason for order

1 Internal remote visual testing
2 External magnetic particle testing
3 External eddy current testing
4 External ultrasonic testing
Initial search/screening for potential areas of thermal fatigue cracking
Applied first so that the contrast aid paint would adhere
Applied second because it could be applied on top of contrast aid paint
and was not affected by residual magnetic inks
Applied last as the couplant can leave greasy film residue, which would
need extra cleaning if other techniques were to follow

518 MATERIALS EVALUATION MAY 2012

cracking. The second order of testing consists of
external MT, which is applied first so that the contrast
aid paint will adhere. The third order of inspection
comprises external eddy current testing, which is not
affected by contrast aid paint or residual magnetic
links. The final order of inspection involves external
UT, which is applied last, as the couplant can leave
greasy film residues, which would need extra cleaning
if other techniques were to follow.
Results
Remote VT noted two tubes with internal linear indica-
tions at tube 1 and tube 2. No further indications were
observed. MT found no evidence of reportable external
discontinuities. Eddy current testing found no
evidence of reportable external discontinuities. UT
confirmed the presence of internal cracking at the two
bends and no further indications were found.
Phase 3 Conclusions
Testing was carried out to the sentencing criteria given
by the client. Each visual indication was graded
according to appearance and location. The follow-up
UT, eddy current testing and MT results clearly identi-
fied two tubes as falling outside of the acceptance
criteria. The tubes were removed from the boiler and
sectioned in half, which confirmed that the indications
noted were the start of corrosion fatigue.
This action gave the client confidence in the tech-
niques and procedures that had been developed and
the written scheme of testing was rewritten to include
these extra NDT techniques at regular intervals when
the boiler is off-line.
It is therefore conclusive that the techniques
developed can target early stages of thermal corrosion
fatigue before they rupture or break through to the
outer surface.
Summary
The techniques developed and utilized for this inspec-
tion are individually useful in their own right, but when
they are combined the overall effectiveness of using
remote VT alongside UT, eddy current testing and MT
was greatly improved (HSE, 2011). The screening
process worked remarkably well at finding linear or
aligned corrosion, and the follow-up NDT techniques
quickly confirmed the findings.
However, these techniques each have limitations,
and it is the limitations that reduce the overall thor-
oughness of the testing. When evaluating the testing,
all limitations must be noted, such as external
steelwork adjacent to, touching, spanning or welded
across the area of interest, which would restrict the
access for the external MT, eddy current testing and UT
techniques and would leave the inaccessible areas
uninspected. Not only are these areas uninspected,
but also the introduction of the localized stresses from
the welded attachments can add to the high stresses
that are already present in the boiler tube, which
would make these locations critical to inspect.
Currently, the use of the internal remote VT with
articulation is used to extensively inspect these
restricted areas and to note down linear or aligned
corrosion that could be indicative of corrosion fatigue.
The results can be saved in digital video and archived
for future reference. wx
AUTHOR
Michael Leonard Hodgson: Oceaneering International,
Piccadilly Offices, Wilton International, Middlesbrough,
TS10 4RG, United Kingdom; 44 (0) 1642 770800; fax 44 (0)
1642 466547; e-mail mhodgson@oceaneering.com.
REFERENCES
ASME, ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codes, Section V,
Nondestructive Examination, American Society of Mechan-
ical Engineers, New York, New York, 2010.
ASNT, Recommended Practice No. SNT-TC-1A: Personnel
Qualification and Certification in Nondestructive Testing
(2006), American Society for Nondestructive Testing,
Columbus, Ohio, 2006.
BS, EN 473, Non-destructive Testing Qualification and
Certification of NDT Personnel General Principles,
European Committee for Standardization, Brussels,
Belgium, 2008.
HSE, Corrosion Fatigue Failure of Tubes in Water Tube
Boilers, Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) Alerts,
14 July 2011, Health and Safety Executive, London, United
Kingdom, www.hse.gov.uk/comah/alerts/
corrosion.htm.
MAY 2012 MATERIALS EVALUATION 519